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Tech giant Google unveiled its new line of smartphones called 'Pixel' today after much speculation.

The company took wraps off its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, with artificial intelligence built in, as it takes aim at Apple's iPhone.

The two phones will be the first to bear the Google's brand with the with the tagline 'Phone by Google', USA Today reported.

In its official blog, Google said: "Today, we announced for the first time a phone, made by Google inside and out, that brings people the best of Google through hardware and software made by Google — Pixel." The company also announced the launch on social media platforms

"We are building hardware with the Google Assistant at its core," Rick Osterloh, head of a new hardware division at the California-based internet giant, was quoted as saying by the international news agency, AFP.

"We believe that the next big innovation is going to take place at the intersection of hardware and software, with AI at the center."

The new phone starts at a price of $649, and Google is working with exclusively with Verizon Communications in the United States, Google executives were quoted as saying by Reuters.

Osterloh claimed the camera was the best available on a smartphone. Pixel has a 12.3MP camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots and lots of light.

Pixel phones, that get a 7-hour charge in 15 minutes according to the company, will come in black, blue and silver and will have 5 and 5.5 inch (12.7 cm and 14 cm) screens, Reuters said.

While the two phones are similar from a design and specification standpoint, according to USA today, the Pixel will offer a 5-inch display while the Pixel XL will have a 5.5-inch screen.

Google has sold Nexus phones since 2010, but the devices have gained little traction in a market dominated by Samsung Electronics, Reuters observes.